Neymar Has the Best Selling World Cup Jersey

Brazil's Neymar (L) gestures next to teammate Luiz Gustavo after the 2014 World Cup opening match against Croatia at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo June 12, 2014.
REUTERS

Neymar had the best-selling player jersey in the U.S. within the first four days of the 2014 World Cup tournament, according to Forbes. The Y-shaped neckline yellow and green jersey offers not only a trendy look but a flair that is distinctly Brazil. It is the home jersey that Nike has solely created for the host nation, Brazil, which had also topped the list of best-selling World Cup team jerseys, followed by U.S., Netherlands, Italy, and Mexico.

The 22-year-old Brazilian footballer's outstanding performance during the first World Cup match between his country and Croatia made the sales of his jersey hit the roof. Neymar's jersey sales skyrocketed to 200% compared to the last four days before the 2014 World Cup kicked off.

Forbes exclusively obtained the figures from Fanatics.com, which is the largest online retailer of licensed sports merchandise. Neymar, who has been presented as the face of the 2014 World Cup, beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's jerseys which placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

For two consecutive years, in 2012 and in 2013, Neymar has topped the list of Sports Pro Media's Most Marketable Athletes. Some of his endorsement deals include Nike, Unilever, Volkswagen, and Santander. In addition, Castrol, Police sunglasses, and L'Oreal, which created the scent "Drakkar Noir by Neymar," have all invested in the Barcelona star.

However, he dropped six notches down to the seventh place in 2014's list. According to Sports Pro Media, Neymar's "high-profile transfer" to the Catalan giants may have ultimately influenced his marketability to take a nosedive. In June 2013, Neymar moved to Barcelona. The club's president Sandro Rosell ended up quitting and giving up his job just to cover up Neymar's full transfer cost amounting to a whopping $124 million.